The Kasigau REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Corridor Located between Tsavo West and East East National Park, the project is a perfect example of how conservation and community can co-exist. The large-scale project protects dry forests and wildlife while preventing carbon dioxide emissions by preventing further deforestation and environmental degradation by the local community in the project area. As climate change and its shock reach a critical stage, governments globally are putting pressure on the private sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide emitting companies have turned to carbon credits to offset their environmental footprints.

Geoffrey Mwangi, Senior Scientist at Wildlife Works, explains that Worldlife Works saves the environment by generating carbon credits, which it then sells to carbon producers. He explains that a carbon credit is a unit of exchange that both individuals and businesses use to offset their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“Carbon credits and offsets are vital components of global emissions trading strategies to reduce emissions and reduce the carbon footprint. Biomass sampling leads to the creation of a carbon credit, we have samplers who carefully consider every single tree in this project. Stakeholders will receive a financial reward when they demonstrate that they have preserved the forest that would have degraded it," he explained.

By protecting the forest and earning income from the sale of carbon credits, Worldlife Works has partnered with the local community in the Kasigau Corridor region to co-create long-term jobs that replace unsustainable sources of income that lead to environmental degradation or reduced forest cover - such as poaching, subsistence farming and illegal logging. This includes jobs that protect wildlife, create organic products, support education and work with farmers to develop conservation techniques.

Joram Mwanguo, a teacher in the project area, was born and raised in the Kasigau corridor. He mentions that local people have been degrading the environment by relying heavily on poaching, illegal tree harvesting, charcoal burning and subsistence farming.

“We have degraded the environment and experienced the impact. At first it was difficult for us locals to understand the carbon credit and the benefits to the community, they taught us how to preserve forest cover and reduce degradation. schools, hospitals, jobs and scholarships for our children,” he said.

Wildlife Works claims the project has been independently verified nine times since 2011 and has prevented around 22 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions contribute to increasing global surface temperatures, leading to unpredictable weather conditions such as droughts, floods and heatwaves.

A carbon credit is equal to 1 ton of carbon dioxide released into the environment.

Africa, which accounts for about 17 percent of the world's population, contributes just 4 percent of global carbon emissions of 1.45 billion tons.

The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015 are pacts of countries that have agreed on international targets for CO2 emissions. According to Climate Watch, a platform that records countries' climate data, Kenya produces about 70 million tons of CO2 annually.

As investors pledged to buy credits from Africa's carbon credit market as part of an initiative spearheaded by President William Ruto during the Africa Climate Summit to increase the production of carbon credits, the largely unregulated market continues to face accusations that some offsets do nothing for the environment , while others do. accused of exploiting communities.

Joseph Mwakima Wildlife Works has a benefit-sharing model where 30 percent of project revenue is returned to the community. He adds that local residents living in the project area are paid to protect the forest cover

“We have employed 400 people in Worldlife workshops, built schools, health facilities and scholarships for the community through a benefit sharing model,” he said. (Ann Nyathira)